The need for rapidly assembling habitable structures invariably occurs due to disasters, whether by an act of nature or man-made. Such sheltering structures must often be set up in harsh climactic conditions rather quickly and for indeterminate periods; only later to be broken down for ready transport to another emergency locale. Beyond transient uses as described, longer term, sturdier housing is needed in remote areas which are lacking in the natural materials for constructing of living space or quarters, such as the polar regions and bleak deserts. Also, transport capacity for conventional structures is impractical, short of being air-dropped, because of a lack of suitable roads. Clearly, it will be appreciated that a modular, but sturdy, building, which is deftly and quickly assembled from light weight components, which are adapted to harsh conditions, is desirable.
Also in isolated areas, hazardous waste containment structures are sometimes needed which must prove sturdy in harsh environments to retain the contained fluids, like liquids or partly compressed gases. Such waste retention structures may be utilized either underground, or submerged, which are capable of withstanding appreciable hydrostatic pressures.
Just as important as rapid assembly under stress conditions is the ready recovery of the modular elements for removal and reuse at another time and place.
Accordingly it is a principal object of the invention to provide a readily assembled, double-walled, insulated, personnel or material containment and storage structure, also suited for harsh ambient climactic conditions, such as extreme temperatures, and capable of withstanding submerged hydrostatic pressures or compression forces in unstable underground formations.
It is another object of the invention to provide a modular panelized structure which is comparatively lightweight, but of sufficient structural integrity, which is readily transportable before assembly and upon breakdown, and which provides for cost effective storage and containment of a variety of commodities.
It is a further object of the invention to employ marginal panelized construction to assemble a substantially air-tight containment means suitable for the storage of bulk solids or liquids within an integral liner, which liquids may be toxic or be comprised of hazardous waste material.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a modular storage assembly adapted for including accessories like doors and windows that can convert the modular assembly into living and working facilities.
Still another object of the invention is to provide accessory panels that create interconnecting passageways for modular unit coupling permitting the fabrication of plural units in the nature of a honeycomb matrix.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.